"Suddenly one of the gypsies, in trembling opal, seizes a cocktail out of the air, dumps it down for courage and, moving her hands like Frisco, dances out alone on the canvas platform. A momentary; hush the orchestra leader varies his rhythm obligingly for her, and there is a burst of chatter as the erroneous news goes around that she is Gilda Gray's understudy from the Follies. The party has begun."
- Chapter 3, the 3rd is page

I love how the this book is written, it is almost like poetry or a movie but no its a book. With this in mind, describing Gatsby's party guests as gypsies is so cool (or just for Ms.Clark it is delicious). To me this shows that they are transcendent, and as each party wave comes in, a new mirage guests come in to. I also see from this passage who Gatsby is. All though he is always surrounded by people and parties, he is very alone. By the term gypsy, we can see that he does not keep friends for long. From this quote we also can paint a mental picture of what a great Gatsby party would be like. Just from a sentence, we are able to add cocktails, music, dancing and gossip to our metaphoric painting. Another word choice I really appreciate is erroneous, meaning incorrect or confusing. At a first glance I thought this word meant groundbreaking or shocking, but after looking it up I saw that it meant incorrect. So we as readers are perhaps seeing foreshadowing of what to come in the book because Gilda is parading around as phony aristocrat, and this is apparently drawing a buzz from the West Egg social scene.

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Crystal

11/7/2013 09:42:39 am

Hey Sabrina! :) I completely agree with your first statement, it does flow like poetry or a movie right before your eyes. I think your analysis of Gatsby is spot on with what I thought as well. :)

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Sarah Olson

11/7/2013 10:49:34 am

Nice post, Sabrina. I also enjoy Fitzgerald's writing technique, it's very poetic :) I like what you said about the gypsies, that was interesting.

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Sophia C.

11/7/2013 11:23:26 am

I love what you said and I agree with everything except the very end. I'm sure this is just a small misunderstanding but the woman in question is not in fact, "pretending" to be Gilda Grey, she is being called her understudy. I'm curious to know what you think this might be foreshadowing though!

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Xochitl Aguinaga

11/7/2013 01:11:44 pm

I agree, Fitgerald has such a languid, poetic way of writing that I think really characterizes the wealthy people he is writing about.

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Gage Gamboa

11/7/2013 01:58:33 pm

Wonderful post, Sabrina! Great ideas presented in your analysis.

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Crystal Delgado

11/7/2013 09:41:12 am

"Every one suspects himself of at least one of the cardinal virtues, and this is mine: I am one of the few honest people that I have ever known."

This quote makes me think of the honest people in the world. I'm near positive that every single person has told a lie, at least a small white lie at one point in their lives. On the most part, I like to believe people are honest. There is no need to lie in ever situation that springs up in day to day lives. This quote makes me feel sad because Nick states that he himself is one of the few honest people in his life. You need honest people in your life in order to function because day after day if the majority you hear is lies then what makes a lie and a truth distinguishable? This quote makes me wonder what context Nick is speaking of an "honest person" in. Is he saying that honesty is a person who speaks no lies even when it can hurt or does he mean when a person is true to themselves and stands up for what they believe in even when other people might not agree?

(P.S. I looked it up and for those who don't know, the Cardinal Virtues are supposed to be the four principal moral virtues. They are justice, prudence, temperance, and fortitude.)

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Sarah Olson

11/7/2013 10:48:28 am

I love how thorough this is, Crystal. And thanks for adding the Cardinal virtues because I was curious about that

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Karye

11/7/2013 11:18:38 am

I would have never thought of this quote like this. And thank you for the PS, it was helpful.

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Rachel Deaton

11/7/2013 11:39:59 am

Amazing post! I love this quote so much. You really explained what you thought clearly.

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Xochitl Aguinaga

11/7/2013 01:16:05 pm

I love your thoughts on this post, I myself found it a bit ironic that Nick claims he is one of the last honest people he knows in his life, but he is seeing two women at the same time.

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Gage Gamboa

11/7/2013 02:00:00 pm

Fantastic post, Crystal! A very nice in-depth analysis of the quote. Nice touch with the additional research!

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Brianna Barboza

11/10/2013 12:18:59 pm

Interesting analysis you have here. I'm inclined to agree on your statement on what Nick's idea of an "honest person" is. Everyone in their life time will be obligated to tell multiple lies, even when there's no need to. Is it from fear? Anticipation? Anxiety? We ourselves may never know.

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Ysabella Dawson

11/11/2013 01:08:14 pm

I think that you bring up many interesting points and you did a very descriptive job with this.

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Lance shuler

11/7/2013 10:22:36 am

“Is it a boy or a girl?” she asked delicately.
“That dog? That dog’s a boy.”
“It’s a bitch,” said Tom decisively. “Here’s your money. Go and buy ten more dogs with it.”

I love how Tom addresses this dog seller as the scammer he is. He knows that this guy is just scaming him out of money, and he knows that he's just trying to take his money. I love how he points out as he knows how he is being tricked by this seller, and even tells him how he has ripped him off, paying basiclly 10x more than the average price. I feel as if this is a good way to express this character, as he is not only wealthy, but a smart buyer.

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Grady Gumner

11/7/2013 03:25:26 pm

Would this quote fall under something you think, feel or wonder? I don't quite see a connection to any of the three. I think it may be beneficial to go back and find a quote that really strikes you as something significant and write a passage along the lines of one of these three prompts.

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Salina

11/11/2013 11:25:45 am

I really like how to interrupted this part of the book. I think it shows how Tom is wealthy too, but I personally feel he isn't a smart buyer. Why do you think he is a smart buyer?

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Sarah Olson

11/7/2013 10:47:16 am

" 'I understand you're looking for a business gonnegtion.' The juxtaposition of these two remarks was startling.
Gatsby answered for me. 'Oh no,' he exclaimed. 'This isn't the man.'
'No?' Mr. Wolfsheim seemed disappointed.
'This is just a friend. I told you we'd talk about that some other time.'
'I beg your pardon,' said Mr. Wolfsheim, "I had a wrong man.' "

This quote makes me THINK about what is going to happen with Gatsby and Nick. I love that Gatsby is completely aware of everything that is going on around him. It's obvious that he has friends in high places - he doesn't have a problem with anyone - and Nick is still trying to piece Gatsby's life together to make sense of it all. I think Gatsby will have a hand in many covert going-ons throughout the book. He strikes me as a kind of puppet master, someone working in the background to make the future favor him. Whether or not it will all work out remains to be seen. Also, I was quite amused by the word gonnegtion. Leave to Fitzgerald to go around making up his own words. So far I love thinking about the book as I try to analyze it and focus on what Fitzgerald is implying and what he means at parts that, when I originally read the book, I found confusing.

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Karye

11/7/2013 11:16:16 am

I love that you compared Gatsby to a puppet master. Very cool analysis!

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Sabrina

11/7/2013 11:23:15 am

I agree with Karye, nice job!! I really like how are thinking about thinking as you read! Nice job

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Sophia C.

11/7/2013 11:32:14 am

I thought I should tell you, I looked up the work gonnection since it made me curious, here is what I found:
Gonnegtion is term used in the novel The Great Gatsby. Meyer Wolfsheim mistakenly takes Nick for a criminal and asks if he is looking for a gonnegtion. The word is a misspelling of the word "connection" in order to emphasize Mr. Wolfsheim's pronunciation. Many people have been thrown by the word, and have scrambled to dictionaries in hopes of getting a definition.

I hope that is helpful! Lovely analysis by the way!

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Karye

11/7/2013 11:13:48 am

"He had one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it, that you may come across four or five times in life. It faced, or seemed to face, the whole external world for an instant and then concentrated on you with an irresistible prejudice in your favor. It understood you just as far as you wanted to be understood, believed in you as you would like to believe in yourself."

I THINK this quote is the description of how Gatsby had a smile that showed his charisma and character and the theatrical tone of the book. The way that he is viewed from the outside world is extravagant and mysterious, which Nick may see more into in the future. The way that Gatsby has been described is a way that he had made for himself. It could give a glimpse of hope to everyone in the sense that you can be anyone you want in this life. His parties are gorgeous and ridiculous and have come to be the hotsy-totsy event. I think it represents something that Gatsby might be hiding under to cover a part of his life which he still carries baggage. Maybe to be symbolic to something greater.

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Rachel Deaton

11/7/2013 11:38:29 am

Nice post! Gatsby is amazing!!!

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Crystal

11/7/2013 11:49:11 am

Whoa Karye! :D You did a really great analysis of Gatsby by just the description of his smile! Nice use of "hotsy-totsy" vocab as well ;)

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Erik Salazar

11/7/2013 12:20:10 pm

I felt the same way about the description of Gatsby. He did not seem cocky but rather an interesting and exciting man.

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Rachel Deaton

11/7/2013 11:37:32 am

"There was music from my neighbor's house through the summer nights. In his blue gardens men and girls came and went like moths among the whisperings and he champagne and the stars. At high tide in the afternoon I watched his guests diving from the tower of his raft, or taking the sun on the hot sand of his beach while his motor-boats slid the waters of the Sound, drawing aquaplanes over cataracts of foam." Chapter 3

I choose to think for this journal entry. I think that everyone should read this book! It shows how life was in the "old" days. I believe that reading this book will be a completely different experience than watching The Great Gatsby movies. I am a huge movie person and I have watched both films. I haven't read the book yet but I can picture what is happening thanks to the films. It caught my attention right away. So far in the book, I think that there are great strong characters. Nick has a very strange personality. He is distant and just seems awkward. Tom is well to be blunt, an ass. He broke his mistress' nose! Daisy is kind and soft-hearted. Then there's Jay Gatsby. The best character of all time! He is so funny and mysterious. I love it when Gatsby says "Old Sport". I remember that from the movies! It was just cool to experience that line again. I think that the book is very detailed and that wants me to further. I have heard only great things about this book and I now understand why!

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Jackson Walker

11/7/2013 12:03:10 pm

‘You look at him sometimes when he thinks nobody’s look-
ing at him. I’ll bet he killed a man.’ (pg. 44)

Think

Through the book so far, Gatsby has been presented as a very introspective character- one of great depth and mystery. He seems to be extremely aware of events that happen, and how to react to everything. He seems, as far as I can tell, as someone who is a noble and hugely charismatic, a valid role model to say the least. He throws fashionable parties and weekend, where everyone from around the city comes to enjoy themselves and socialize.

The quote adds a level of depth because it questions his perfection. If the two girls had not said what they did about Gatsby being a murderer, or a Nazi, then he would appear as impossibly spotless. The quote gets me, the reader, to think about the humanization of his symbol. The fact that he can not be perfect, and that he is perhaps making up for something. I think one of the themes of the book that will soon reveal itself is the actuality of perceiving what is perfect- that nothing can be. Whatever Gatsby did, something that I think exists, makes up for his "great"ness. It is also interesting that as I imagine it, no matter what he did or may have done, I feel as though it would not blemish my view of his eminence. However, I trust Fitzgerald will prove me wrong, and hopefully take me on a trip of wondrous events through his descriptive and figurative writing that so far I have loved.

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Carly

11/7/2013 12:12:58 pm

"All I kept thinking about, over and over, was ‘You can’t live forever; you can’t live forever."

This quote made me think about some of the things that I already regret not doing. I read a story online, and I have no idea if it is true, but an old woman said to her granddaughter that her greatest regrets were the things she didn't do. It makes me think of all the opportunities that I may have missed because I didn't have the courage to go through with them. That, in turn, makes me think about how coincidental it is that I am sitting here, typing this right now. All of the events of my life have lead up to this, and if anything had gone differently, maybe I wouldn't be. That's why I think that this quote is thought-provoking. Then you have to ask yourself, when is it time to stop taking risks? When will it come to pass that you overstepped the "limit", and are just acting plain reckless? Are Myrtle and Tom reckless, for treating their spouses as they do? Do they have the right to do that, just because life is short?

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Hannah

11/7/2013 11:44:24 pm

CARLY- You bring a lot more questions into my mind after I read you post.

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Justin Walker

11/8/2013 11:57:06 pm

Your reflection upon inability for recklessness is most certainly detailed and the idea of possessing but a singular life can often be interpreted in assorted ways.

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Erik Salazar

11/7/2013 12:36:14 pm

"Sometimes they came and went without having met Gatsby at all, came for the party with a simplicity of heart that was its own ticket of admission."

I feel an emptiness in Gatsby. He throws parties every weekend, for people who can care less about him. Many people come to his parties to have a good time, enjoy free food, alcohol, and music. Gatsby wants to be happy and maybe he hopes that these parties will bring him contemporary happiness or just the thrill of spending large quantities of money. Everyone knew and loved Gatsby but no one cared for him. From the way Nick talks and describes him, he too felt something interesting about Gatsby, whether it be good or bad he does not yet know.

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Malia M.

11/7/2013 03:22:19 pm

Great post! I also feel like Gatsby's life is empty. I wonder whether or not we will get more insight to his character or personal relationships?

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Salina

11/11/2013 11:27:48 am

Wow I love the emotion you put into this, I feel the exact same way about Gatsby.

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Ryan Martinez

11/7/2013 12:50:03 pm

"He had one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it, that you may come across four or five times in life."

I wonder how Gatsby looks from this description. I've read this quote over and over and the first image that pops into my mind is just warm memories, the ones that stick out into your mind, and can always put a smile on your face. He seems like a interesting person, with stories that just leave you in awe struck wonder. I feel that he is that person that you admire to be, the person that you hear legends about. It just seems like Gatsby has amazing features.

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Grady Gumner

11/7/2013 03:23:24 pm

Before reading your commentary for the quote you chose, I also thought in my head "this was the one quote that I had to read several times to get a better understanding of it". The great detail that the author goes through to describe something so seemingly insignificant as a smile was rather interesting. As the whole quote continued, I pictured the smile of Gatsby in my head and it was almost as if I could imagine EXACTLY what Nick was seeing.

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Jordan Garcia

11/7/2013 01:00:47 pm

“I’ve just heard the most amazing thing,” she whispered. “How long were we in there?”
“Why, about an hour.” “It was — simply amazing,” she repeated abstractedly. “But I swore I wouldn’t tell it and here I am tantalizing you.”

This quote makes me feel very curious but anxious at the same time. I think that Nick doesn't know what he should be doing at the moment of this quote because he was basically just waiting for Jordan to come out from behind the library with jay . I and probably Nick both wonder what they could have been talking about while Nick was waiting, especially because Jordan was telling him how amazing it was. This is Nicks first time to one of these parties so he still feels like a polite guest.

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Jake Little

11/11/2013 02:35:30 pm

I agree entirely, in this part of the book you can feel this Nick is very anxious in this part of the story, he has no idea how to act during one of these parties and this quote shows how hes feels. Very good analysis.

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Xochitl Aguinaga

11/7/2013 01:34:19 pm

“ It was one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it, that you may come across four or five times in life...It understood you just so far as you wanted to be understood, believed in you as you would like to believe in yourself, and assured you that it had precisely the impression of you that, at your best, you hoped to convey.”

I think this quote is an interesting way to introduce Gatsby, Fitzgerald devotes a whole paragraph just to describe his welcoming smile. I am not sure what to expect from this character considering all the rumors surrounding him in the book so far.I predict this will be a major question throughout the book, if Gatsby is a good or bad person. With the introduction of Gatsby I also see that he will insight some type of change in Nick’s life.

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Julz Valencia

11/11/2013 10:23:07 pm

I really like how you made a prediction in your analysis, I think thats great.

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Gage Gamboa

11/7/2013 01:55:09 pm

“He smiled understandingly---much more than understandingly. It was one of the rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it, that you may come across four or five times in life. It faced---or seemed to face---the whole external world for an instant, and then concentrated on you with an irresistible prejudice in your favor.” Page 48, Chapter 3.
Feel: I think that this quote masterfully creates a feeling of understanding and comfort of sorts for the reader, at least that is how it made me feel. Fitzgerald’s writing has a way of putting thoughts and ideas into words in ways that would prove difficult for many to articulate. The quote made me relate to Nick in that I can, in a sense, experience his perception and analyzing of experiences. The wording of the quote supplemented the passage by really describing Gatsby’s smile not just in terms of how it looked, but how the smile makes someone feel.

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Vivian Mason

11/7/2013 02:29:34 pm

I liked how you covered every aspect of feeling. Also how you related yourself to Nick and showed how, good use of evidence. Next time maybe rearrange your writing so that you are saying "..smile makes someone feel." then add your connection.

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Preston Royal

11/11/2013 09:48:40 am

Nice post Mr. G! Very well said! I like how you took into account everyones feelings and not just one persons or your own. It is something I should implement into my own writing. Fabulous job, old sport!

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Tess Herzog

11/7/2013 02:15:01 pm

"Evidently he lived in this vicinity, for he told me that he had just bought a hydroplane, and was going to try it out in the morning. 'Want to go with me, old sport? Just near the shore along the Sound.' 'What time?' 'Anytime that suits you best.'"
This quote made me wonder why Gatsby was being so nice to Nick. He wanted to take him for a ride in his new hydroplane, but the two had never even met before. Gatsby let Nick name the time as well so that he would be able to come without any conflict in schedule. I feel like there has to be some underlying reason as to why Gatsby would be so nice, however he seems like a really giving person. He throws the parties and many people come, invited or not, and he welcomes all. The whole thing seems too good to be true, and I want to know what is really going on in Gatsby's life.

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Vivian Mason

11/7/2013 02:26:46 pm

I love how your response makes me, the reader wonder. It is very thoughtful and I would never have thought of it that way. What do you believe he underlying reason is?

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Malia M.

11/7/2013 03:19:58 pm

I agree! Gatsby's character right now seems more like a mystical creature or fairy godfather than a real human being.

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Vivian Mason

11/7/2013 02:24:46 pm

"The lights grow brighter as the earth lurches away from the sun, and now the orchestra is playing yellow cocktail music, and the opera of voices pitches a key higher. Laughter is easier minute by minute, spilled with prodigality, tipped out at a cheerful word." Chapter 3

I FEEL as if I am part of this story, just from the first three chapters, I am in this luxurious party, dancing around hearing bits and pieces of the conversations. While the expectation of reading a book is to be the quiet observer above looking down into a shoe box filled with the scenes of the book. Yet, with Fitzgerald's writing style, the expected quite observer above is thrown out the window and instead thrown into the thick of his plots, anticipating every twist. When Fitzgerald adds Gatsby to his plot, it twists like a top across a smooth surface. Gatsby is wonder, thrill and anticipation all in one. He forces the reader to question and forever be on his/her toes. I FEEL that Fitzgerald's 'The Great Gatsby' is the top that will forever twist, with the me, the reader caught inside his book of wonder.

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Hannah

11/7/2013 11:42:00 pm

Vivian- I think this is one of my favorite feel reflections! You really bring to light some things I hadn't thought or Felt

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Paris Gramann

11/10/2013 09:10:13 am

Wow, Vivian! Even the way you wrote this made me feel like the way you described. I think that you exactly captured the description of what I have been feeling as I'm reading. Beautiful!

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Malia M.

11/7/2013 03:18:12 pm

"I like large parties. They're so intimate. At small parties there isn't any privacy."

I really liked this quote because it made me think about the concept of privacy. At first the quote seemed like a juxtaposition then I realized how true it was. Sometimes it is a wonderful thing to just be lost in a crowd. You feel part of something and yet simultaneously totally free. There are no pretenses of small talk to be maintain. Your actions and words and dances are for you. No one else cares so you are completely free to be yourself. You never feel alone if you are actually happy and not just pretending.

There is also an exciting spontaneity to the possibility of meeting strangers. Often, I've made really strong connections with people I've met on a trip or shared a single experience with. I think this goes along with the idea that people drop their guards when they don't feel judged.

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Meilani

11/7/2013 03:54:37 pm

Great post! I also started to along the same line during this quote, and I loved how you said that you can be lost in a crowd while still being a part of something and have freedom.

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Jessica

11/9/2013 03:55:44 am

So great! I love how you connected this quote with your own personal experience because that shows you know what's going on and it can also help others by connecting it to real things that have happened to all of us at one point or another!

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Grady Gumner

11/7/2013 03:18:49 pm

"'Gatsby. Somebody told me-' '. The two girls and Jordan leaned together confidentially. 'Somebody told me they thought he killed a man once.' A thrill passed over all of us. The three Mr. Mumbles bent forward and listened eagerly. 'I don't think it's so much that,' argued Lucille skeptically; it's more that he was a German spy during the war." (Fitzgerald 44)

Throughout the beginning of The Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby has proven to be an extremely mysterious man. Starting when he disappeared the first time Nick saw him, nothing has been clear on WHO he is. Everyone has their own theory, but Gatsby remains a mystery that no one can quite solve. I wonder what the story of Gatsby is. A young, successful man like Gatsby undoubtedly has an interesting past. I hope some information is given about Gatsby as the story progresses so some of my questions can be answered. However I hope his whole background isn't blatantly written as Gatsby's mysterious demeanor makes the book a true page-turner.

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Justin Walker

11/8/2013 11:54:32 pm

What an excellent conveying of information! However, it would be beneficial if you could further detail upon your definition for "blatantly" along with posting if you did your paragraph under either think, feel, or wonder.

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Trevin Kraus

11/11/2013 02:07:26 pm

I agree with 100%. Gatsby is a very mysterious person and has many hidden secretes. I also hope that some details are revealed about who Gatsby is later on in the story.

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Alex Demos

11/7/2013 03:31:47 pm

"The groups change more swiftly, swell with new arrivals, dissolve and form in the same breath; already there are wanderers, confident girls who weave here and there among the stouter and more stable, become for a sharp, joyous moment the centre of a group, and then, excited with triumph, glide on through the sea-change of faces and voices and color under the constantly changing light."

Feel: I feel this is quote accurately represents a connection with modern day society. I can think off the top of my head how school can relate to this quote and how we represent the "change of faces and voices..." throughout each day of our lives. We are constantly changing, and because there is so much variation between each person, there isn't a set time to retire from an individuals "group," or people that represent the same interests or desires. When Fitzgerald explained the "groups change more swiftly, swell with new arrivals," I personally connected myself to how I have moved "groups", with new friends accepting my arrival. This doesn't mean I exactly moved on from one of my older "groups," but rather changed and decided on a better fit for my personality.

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Rilind

11/12/2013 06:45:23 am

that is so true! People change so much-People that were strangers years ago are now great friends and vice versa

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Katie C

11/7/2013 03:39:34 pm

"He had one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it, that you may come across four or five times in life."

This makes me think about the mask generally worn in public. How people tend to hide their true selves from everyone else. And Gatsby even with his reassuring smile is no exception. It is a carefully constructed facade as it is with most people. This quote almost seems to be misleading you from the fact that the only thing sure about the man is his looks.

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Meilani

11/7/2013 03:50:33 pm

Nice post, I also agree with you and wonder why he wears this mask in public and what he has to hide.

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Meilani

11/7/2013 03:49:05 pm

"People disappeared, reappeared, made plans to go somewhere, and then lost each other, searched for each other, found each other a few feet away."

Feeling/Thinking: I feel that on some level, everyone can connect to this quote. In our lives we are endlessly connected to a person or groups of people that will eventually enter one of these stages that Fitzgerald mentions. In these various stages, people are always filtering though your life and he words the different ways people move through lives well. He's worded observations that I've had so eloquently, that I'm glad its been put onto paper. This makes me think about all of the different people in my life that can fit into each of these descriptions. In turn, this brings the feelings that had been attached to them.

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Hannah O'Connell

11/7/2013 11:40:04 pm

"...without looking purposeless and alone."

FEEL

I felt a lot of things while reading this book so far. I feel in awe of Gatsby, I feel curious on who exactly he is, I feel anger toward Daisy's husband for being a complete psychotic jerk, I feel pity toward Myrtle's husband. I feel excitement in Nick's life. BUT to this quote, I feel connected. Nick talks about feeling lonely a few times in the book, and I can relate to his emotion of being infatuated, curious, not in love, and lonely. Because I feel that is extremely normal and human to express that nagging emotion. This character, Nick, is one of who I feel connected to.

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Paris Gramann

11/10/2013 09:16:11 am

Hannah, I feel connected to this quote too. I think that an odd struggle in life is to feel like you are enjoying life. Sometimes when we are enjoying something the most, we aren't thinking of how much we are enjoying it in that moment. But when you are looking in from the outside at people who are enjoying life, you feel the loneliest -- because you are suddenly aware of what you don't have. If you are looking for happiness, can you achieve it? Or.. does it only come when you aren't looking for it?

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Meranda Knowles

11/11/2013 06:34:45 am

This is a great post! I think you did a great job about sharing your feelings and connections.

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Ysabella Dawson

11/11/2013 01:09:59 pm

I think that you did a very good job portraying how the story makes you feel and how you connect to the story.

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Justin Walker

11/8/2013 11:52:44 pm

"He smiled understandingly — much more than understandingly. It was one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it, that you may come across four or five times in life. It faced — or seemed to face — the whole external world for an instant, and then concentrated on you with an irresistible prejudice in your favor."

Wonder: This quote stuck out to me through the titanic size of the accompanying paragraph entirely dedicated to how Jay looks at a person in understanding. It led to inquiry as to the significance of his visage toward one who was incredulous in regards to his absence of age. So far, the character of Gatsby is quite an enigma due to his behavior and age in comparison to that of the image set by the protagonist. It really gives rise for inquiry in regards to his past as is hinted throughout the chapter. Due to how unique he is both physically and with his magnanimity manifesting in the form of great parties attended by all, it is extremely likely that readers will find how his character develops and progresses in later chapters of the book.

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Jessica

11/9/2013 03:52:06 am

This is my favorite quote in the entire book, so go you! I completely agree with your analysis of the quote as well especially how you are questioning the significance of how well laid out the paragraph is written and how that may be hinting at something of his past. Good job!

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Cole Sargent

11/11/2013 12:50:27 pm

Great analysis and quote! I also thought that Gatsby was an enigma, and I wonder how his character will develop in the chapters to come.

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Rachel Maristela

11/11/2013 01:30:24 pm

Great analysis on this quote! I agree with you, Gatsby's character seems really unique and can't wait to see how his character develops.

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Jessica Boensch

11/9/2013 04:05:16 am

"You're a rotten driver," I protested. "Either you ought to be more careful, or you oughtn't to drive at all."
"I am careful."
"No you're not."
"Well, other people are," she said lightly.
"What's that got to do with it?"
"They'll keep out of my way," she insisted. "It takes two to make an accident."
"Suppose you met somebody just as careless as yourself."
"I hope I never will," she answered. "I hate careless people. That's why I like you."

I understand that this quote is a bit lengthy but it is so humorous and amazing I felt that it would be a terrible thing to cut it short. Besides making me laugh, this quote really makes me wonder. I can't help but wonder, if everyone was like this, how long would the world last? On the other end of the spectrum, if everyone was like Nick, how long could we last? In my opinion, both types of people are needed for humanity to survive. There have to be those people like Jordan who are fun and willing to make mistakes but if everyone is like that then it would be a disaster, like Nick points out.

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Karen

11/10/2013 05:11:35 am

Good job! I really liked how you chose an interactive quote as well. It was interesting to see your view on it because I wouldn't have thought about it the way you did.

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Halee Robinson

11/10/2013 07:16:00 am

I agree with you; this is a very cute quote and I'm glad you included the whole thing.
Your take on this quote is extremely interesting and thought provoking, and it definitely gives a new perspective on carelessness vs carefulness.

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Rachel Maristela

11/11/2013 01:27:23 pm

I really like how you made good perspectives and "what would happen if..." on this quote. Very well written. Great job!

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Lisa Valtierra

11/11/2013 01:47:56 pm

I love the questions you ask and how you used wonder for your quote. I feel like it explains it perfectly, plus the quote if perfect, so good choice.

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Rilind

11/9/2013 06:52:47 am

"He had one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it, that you may come across four or five times in life. It faced, or seemed to face, the whole external world for an instant and then concentrated on you with an irresistible prejudice in your favor. It understood you just as far as you wanted to be understood, believed in you as you would like to believe in yourself."

Think: Gatsby is just one of those people that can reassure something with a simple charming smile. I think this is very important to the book, as it thoroughly describes his charisma. It may help him later in the book to convince people of things and get what he wants. It also makes me think of how nice the people of west egg are compared to what east egg thinks of them-maybe he'll end up changing their minds? This is definatly the best, and most important description of him so far in the book. I think he has a lot of potential, and will have a slight advantage over other characters for getting his way on things.

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Parmida Zolfaghari

11/10/2013 04:04:36 am

"I looked back at my cousin, who began to ask me questions in her low, thrilling voice. It was the kind of voice that the ear follows up and down, as if each speech is an arrangement of notes that will never be played again. Her face was sad and lovely with bright things in it, bright eyes and a bright passionate mouth, but there was an excitement in her voice that men who had cared for her found difficult to forget: a singing compulsion, a whispered "listen," a promise that she had done gay, exciting things just in a while since and that there were gay, exciting things hovering in the next hour"

I decided to focus on the way the book is written, rather than the great details of the story. I find the way that The Great Gatsby is written beautiful. The book is very detailed and thought through. When reading this passage, it reminded me of how details and words describing people, could makes up who they are. By the given paragraph most people are able imagine how Daisy is. There are the few that can also imagine how she looks by just reading that section of the book. Now, each person might have a different image of her but all could be described in the same way based on one’s imagination. The thought of the smallest details becoming the most important parts of a writing are shown within this passage.

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Halee Robinson

11/10/2013 07:10:06 am

I know what you mean and completely agree with you! There were so many times when reading this that I just stopped, and read a paragraph again to admire the writing!
Do you think this would be 'think', 'feel' or 'wonder'?

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Meranda Knowles

11/11/2013 06:30:23 am

As an author I look at writing styles of different authors. And I completely agree with you about how beautifully this is written, and what you were mentioning about the details was really interesting. How the smallest details are the ones that he draws attention to.

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Karen Barragan

11/10/2013 05:08:44 am

"I wasn’t actually in love, but I felt a sort of tender curiosity."

Wonder:
This quote makes me wonder about a lot of things, and it makes me think of several predictions about the characters in this book. With gatsby, many people have heard about him, talked about him, and thought about him, but no one has actually met him until later on in the book. It made me wonder about when characters, as well as people in real life, have the wrong idea of love. They're in love with the thought of being in love, but not in love with that person. It's a constant struggle that many people try to overcome, but sometimes the feel and curiosity is to strong. It's a necessary experience to have, in order to learn from mistakes. It made me wonder how that will affect future characters in this novel.

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Andrew Ledezma

11/11/2013 01:36:02 pm

I like your short-but-sweet quote! I like how you wonder the role that love will play in the story and how you approach the topic. Great work!

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Halee Robinson

11/10/2013 06:57:24 am

"He smiled understandingly — much more than understandingly. It was one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it, that you may come across four or five times in life. It faced — or seemed to face — the whole external world for an instant, and then concentrated on you with an irresistible prejudice in your favor. It understood you just so far as you wanted to be understood, believed in you as you would like to believe in yourself, and assured you that it had precisely the impression of you that, at your best, you hoped to convey."
This quote stands out because it makes me feel. The words and phrasing are so beautiful, and portray perfectly an almost fantastical smile. It gives the feeling that Gatsby is almost prince like. It shows him as charming and his smile as if it contains magical qualities. It makes me feel wonder, because i can't even imagine a smile like this, and hope that I will experience it one day.

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Paris Gramann

11/10/2013 09:06:26 am

'"Who is he?" I demanded.
"Do you know?"
"He's just a man named Gatsby."
"Where is he from, I mean? And what does he do?"
"Now you're started on the subject," she answer with a wan smile. "Well, he told me once he was an Oxford man." A dim background started to take shape behind him, but at her next remark it faded away.
"However, I don't believe it." pg. 49

Think:

I was originally going to do the "He smiled understandingly..." quote, but many people talked about it already. The above quote, though, was very interesting to me as well. It really sums that we as humans need to know THINGS about people to make a judgement about them. Also, it makes me think that a first impression doesn't always come from an interaction with the subject person. It makes me remember the talk and readings we did with Mrs. C about race. Why do we categorize people by their race? Well, I think that maybe we need to know the information about people (not necessarily their race though) in order to rank them in different things.. or maybe to simply understand other things -- like Gatsby's well-known name, large house, grand parties, and crazy stories. But in the ranking aspect of this idea, it seems as though if he went to Oxford, you could them assume that Gatsby was an educated, money wise man. I also think that the way F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote about a shadow forming behind Gatsby was beautiful. When I first read this, I had to go back right after to catch what he meant. It really shows though how the average mind works. We need a background of someone -- we always need to see what made a person the way they are, instead of just seeing them as what they are and excepting their current state.

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Brianna Barboza

11/10/2013 12:25:41 pm

I would have to agree with you on the fact about the explanations of how the mind works. This book in general, seems to give us something written in words on human nature...with a story to go along with it.

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Alexus Seymour

11/12/2013 04:21:07 am

i like how you choose the quote and talked about why do we categorize people by their race

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Brianna Barboza

11/10/2013 12:06:57 pm

"I believe that on the first night I went to Gatsby’s house I was one of the few guests who had actually been invited. People were not invited — they went there. They got into automobiles which bore them out to Long Island, and somehow they ended up at Gatsby’s door. Once there they were introduced by somebody who knew Gatsby, and after that they conducted themselves according to the rules of behavior associated with amusement parks. Sometimes they came and went without having met Gatsby at all, came for the party with a simplicity of heart that was its own ticket of admission.: - Chapter 3

This quote puts a lot of things into perspective for me, as I start to think of all the people in the world who would do anything to be somewhere. Allow me to elaborate on this, this man Gatsby is already to be made out as this "top-notch" guy, a rich and wealthy fellow. Sounds pretty good right? But from what this quote tells me, it goes to show that some people (even to this day) are so fake and selfish to arrive at a party, especially like this uninvited. These people are opportunists, they're taking advantage of the host without having any kind of personal connection, loyalty, or relationship with him. People like this only want to be seen at some big party, they want something to brag about, they want to be the top of the social ladder, when in reality...what do they even gain from it? An envious comment? A dirty look? An oversize ego? I'm elaborating more on the quote here than the story itself...but this is what I think, what I'm thinking when I read something that I immediately know and recognize.

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John

11/10/2013 02:18:47 pm

“I’ve just heard the most amazing thing,” she whispered. “How long were we in there? Why, about an hour. It was — simply amazing,” she repeated abstractedly." (pg.52)

Think: So far the story has been good. Nick meets Gatsby and is starting to like jordan. This quote makes me think that Gatsby will try to end up with jordan but he will have conflict with Nick. I think nick will get passed that Jordan is dishonest and start to like her. I also think Gatsby and Nick will become close friends but get torn apart because they both like Jordan. I think at the end of the story Nick will end up with Jordan.

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Sophia C.

11/11/2013 03:32:28 am

"People were not invited — they went there. They got into automobiles which bore them out to Long Island, and somehow they ended up at Gatsby’s door. Once there they were introduced by somebody who knew Gatsby, and after that they conducted themselves according to the rules of behavior associated with amusement parks."

I chose this quote because it really struck me, especially the last part. At the beginning it's talking about how no on is actually invited to Gatsby's parties, they just knew they were happening from a friend of a friend or some such person, and came. I wonder what Gatsby thinks of this, was it what he was expecting? Also, if no one was ever invited, how did the first party start? People wouldn't have just randomly shown up at some unknown persons house and had a party, would they? That seems a bit preposterous to me, but the entire idea of a Gatsby party is preposterous to me, so what do I know? Anyway, the end bit, where it says that the guests conducted themselves as if they were at an amusement park really helps me visualize the place like nothing before or after it quite could. It makes me picture the crowds and attitudes of the people at an amusement park, except at one of those gigantic mansions with the insanely large and well kept yards. All in all, I'm not really quote sure why this quote struck me, but it did, it sort of made me laugh as well.

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Jessica Pollock

11/11/2013 05:40:59 am

"Sometimes they came and went without having met Gatsby at all, came for the party with a simplicity of heart that was its own ticket of admission."
Wonder: every time anyone speaks of The Great Gatsby or even when I went to go see the movie I would always wonder about the story. To me the story of The Great Gatsby is just one hug secret. The way the book is written and even the way the movie is told it shows a sort of mystery. This quote I chose shows some of te secrets of the book. People would show up to Gatsby's house, everyone knew who he was but barely anyone had actual ever seen him. He was on huge secret. Even the people who knew him didn't know much about his story. This book so far makes me wonder a lot about Gatsby's character. Why is he such a secret? Why does he throw these parties? What is the story behind him?

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Meranda Knowles

11/11/2013 06:25:50 am

"Almost at the moment when Mr. Gatsby identified himself, a butler hurried toward him with the information that Chicago was calling him on the wire. He excused himself with a small bow that included each of us in turn."

I chose this quote because it was almost like Nick didn't even get a chance to talk to Gatsby before he was taken away, and this happened again latter, Gatsby was taken away for a call from Philadelphia. It kind of made me wonder, why exactly was Gatsby getting these calls for? Where did he get his money from, and do these calls have something to do with it? Or maybe Gatsby was just trying to avoid conversations by answering these calls. This just really struck me, not exactly sure why, but it definitely made me wonder what exactly what was going on with these out of state calls that he was getting around 2o'clock in the morning.

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Sophia Kormanik

11/11/2013 08:20:13 am

“The two girls and Jordan leaned together confidentially. 'Somebody told me they thought he killed a man once.' A thrill passed over all of us. The three Mr. Mumbles bent forward and listened eagerly. 'I don't think it's so much that,' argued Lucille skeptically; it's more that he was a German spy during the war."
I chose WONDERING for this journal reflection. I was wondering reading this quote that I feel like no one really know who Gatsby really is they hear things but they don’t really know. Everyone goes to his parties and gets drunk and he doesn’t and doesn’t like to get involved so he stands on the outside of the parties to watch. I’m a paranoid person I would like to know whose parties I go to I just think it’s kind of weird.

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Trey Lewis

11/11/2013 09:01:10 am

'"Who is he?" I demanded.
"Do you know?"
"He's just a man named Gatsby."
"Where is he from, I mean? And what does he do?"
"Now you're started on the subject," she answer with a wan smile. "Well, he told me once he was an Oxford man." A dim background started to take shape behind him, but at her next remark it faded away.
"However, I don't believe it."

This made me WONDER who Mr. Gatsby actually was. All of the rumors of who he was and no one had ever seen him. I was wondering as I'm sure Mr. Carraway was as well at this time, who is Gatsby? Why do people attend his house without knowing him? Why does he allow strangers into his house? Why doesn't he want to show his face to the public? Or most maybe most important, why do people make up rumors without knowing him personally?

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Preston Royal

11/11/2013 09:46:33 am

“For a moment he looked at me as if he failed to understand.
“I’m Gatsby,” he said suddenly.
“What!” I exclaimed. “Oh, I beg your pardon.”
“I thought you knew, old sport. I’m afraid I’m not a very good host.”
-Chapter 3 Pg. 45
When I read this quote, I FEEL that this was a very important moment in the book. Nick had never met Gatsby before and was puzzled at who this man was. This quote really set up the rest of the book for the coming events between Jay Gatsby and Nick Carraway. I also FEEL that this was sort of ironic because no one knows who Gatsby is because he doesn't spread it around, but he just tells Nick. I think this is because of the future events in the book and what Gatsby needs Nick to do. I WONDER if Gatsby didn't need Nick, would he still talk with him and such? Overall, this quote was something that stuck out to me.

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Salina

11/11/2013 11:22:06 am

I thought is was really interesting too, how Gatsby so casually introduces himself.

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Adrian Schnepp

11/11/2013 10:37:20 am

At least a dozen men, some of them little better off than he was, explained to him that wheel and car were no longer joined by any physical bond.
“Back out,” he suggested after a moment. “Put her in reverse.”
“But the wheel’s off!”
He hesitated.
“No harm in trying,” he said.

This was an intriguing quote to me, not just because of the obvious comedic value, but also because of the mildly sinister undertone that passage seems to convey. It describes the, frankly, sickening wealth and opulence that the highest echelon of 1920's society seems to almost bathe in. Besides the disturbing implications this has in terms of class separation and struggle, it scares me how completely removed from reality these people are. They're drowning themselves in liquor and frivolity, only being rudely awakened from their idyllic dream when reality gives them a jolt, from a malfunction in the engine that maintained that dream, or when there's a serious danger to their life and limb. It'll be interesting to see for how long these aristocrats can maintain their lifestyle.

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Cole Sargent

11/11/2013 10:53:30 am

Interesting! I also found myself wondering how long these people could maintain their (ridiculously exuberant) lifestyle, and I wondered why Gatsby was hosting these parties when he himself did not even drink.

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Salina

11/11/2013 11:19:34 am

"It was one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it.." page 48
THINK: I think this part of the book is really significant because Gatsby has just given Nick an ever lasting impression. This is the first time there is a physical introduction of the two and I think it shows the great amount of power that comes with Gatsby's presence. Most people at some point have met someone who has left a lasting impression. Before a single word is even spoken the physical emotions and expressions coming from a person to another can leave the greatest impact of all.

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Casper Norrman Rasmussen

11/11/2013 11:46:33 am

But I can still read the gray names, and they will give you a better impressions than my generalities of those who accepted Gatby´s hospitality and paid hime the subtle tribute of knowing nothing whatever about him.

This made me WONDER that even though you think, you know your best friend or family, like your own pocket, there is always something you figure out, or new things you learn about them. You could use the example, that a person is an iceberg, that it is only the top you will see/experience, and there is just so much you never will experience, because it is not visible.

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Rilind

11/12/2013 06:42:04 am

very good connection! very interesting, and true. Gatsby in a tough EGG to crack.

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John Laine

11/11/2013 12:14:02 pm

“A wafer of a moon was shining over Gatsby’s house, making the night fine as before, and surviving the laughter and the sound of his still glowing garden.”

Wonder: Will he always strive to get his life to be in his own perfect reality were nothing is wrong for him. If he does try to keep this perfect world what would happen if it all came crashing down or if he got a taste of reality.

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Trevin Kraus

11/11/2013 01:58:31 pm

I think you make some really great points about what could happen. However, I think you should elaborate on the specific details.

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Chelsea

11/11/2013 12:22:37 pm

"Sometimes they came and went without having met Gatsby at all, came for the party with a simplicity of heart that was its own ticket of admission."

Wonder: Gatsby has these parties and many people attend, yet they don't even know who he is. I wonder why he chooses to let anyone attend, they get drunk, have a good time but some don't even know him. It's almost like his guest are taking advantage of him and his amazing parties.
"I'm Gatsby," he said suddenly.
"What!" I exclaimed. "Oh, I beg your pardon"
I wonder if theres a reason as to why he does this. I wonder why he's so secretive? Why is he hiding? Is he planning to do something? I wonder.

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Cole Sargent

11/11/2013 12:47:18 pm

“Suddenly one of these gypsies in trembling opal, seizes a cocktail out of the air, dumps it down for courage and moving her hands like Frisco dances out alone on the canvas platform. A momentary hush; the orchestra leader varies his rhythm obligingly for her and there is a burst of chatter as the erroneous news goes around that she is Gilda Gray’s understudy from the ‘Follies.’ The party has begun,” (Fitzgerald 45).

I feel like this act is symbolic of what was going on between the 1910s and 1920s. Someone would come up with a brilliant idea, or do something incredibly courageous and everyone else would follow shortly behind. It kind of goes hand-in-hand with the large amount of consumerism going on at the time, and the idea that when one person buys something, everyone else seems to be buying it too until it seems like it’s always been there. In this case, the dancing at Gatsby’s party begins when someone has the courage to start it. Also, I think that the fact that he hired his own orchestra to come play at the party, something that seems to happen quite often, is showing of just how much money these people make and can throw around without any kind of negative impact on their lives. It makes me wonder how long Gatsby is going to be able to keep this thing going, and, even more so, why. Why is he doing this?

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Ysabella Dawson

11/11/2013 01:03:26 pm

“But above the gray land and the spasms of bleak dust which drift endlessly over it, you perceive, after a moment, the eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg. The eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg are blue and gigantic- their retinas are one yard high. They look out of no face, but, instead, from a pair of enormous yellow spectacles which pass over a non-existent nose. Evidently some wild wag of an oculist set them there to fatten his practice in the borough of Queens, and then sank down himself into eternal blindness, or forgot them and moved away. But his eyes, dimmed a little by many paintless days under sun and rain, brood on over the solemn dumping ground.”

Think: This quote struck me first by the extremely descriptive language used to describe it, which hints to me that the eyes look over something very significant to the story. How he says that the eyes brood over the squalid neighborhood hints that there is going to be major conflict there as well. Later in the chapter Tom takes Nick to meet “his woman” that he was cheating on Daisy with, which I find to be quite despicable of Tom. The eyes of the doctor stare on over the neighborhood where Myrtle, Tom's “woman” lives with her completely oblivious husband above a car garage. Those eyes have already witnessed the cheating masked and caked in lies, and they probably won't witness any less for the rest of the book. Cheaters in my book rank near drug dealers in terms of badness, which means that I seriously dislike both Tom and Myrtle. . In this chapter I also felt very bad for Nick, because to him it was a bunch of strangers (including the woman that his cousin's husband is cheating on her for) drinking and arguing, and even though he wanted to leave many times, they pulled him back in until after midnight.

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Tyler Felix

11/11/2013 01:04:23 pm

"He had one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it, that you may come across four or five times in life."

I think that This description of Gatsby’s smile captures both the theatrical quality of Gatsby’s character. Also, it captures the manner in which Gatsby appears to the outside world. I feel like gatsby is a great, currently successful man. But he also has a shameful past. I wonder if nick and him will come to a certain point in their partnership, where one person will learn more about the other.

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Andrew Ledezma

11/11/2013 01:37:35 pm

I completely agree with your analysis of this particular quote! I also like how you incorporated all three requirements into your journal entry!

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Rachel Maristela

11/11/2013 01:19:47 pm

"It faced-or seemed to face-the whole external world for an instant, and then concentrated on you with an irresistible prejudice in your favor. It understood you just as far as you wanted to be understood, believed in you as you would like to believe in yourself, and assured you that it had precisely the impression of you that, at your best, you hoped to convey."

This quote made me wonder at first why Nick described Gatsby's smile this way, especially when he just first met him. But then I began to think- you can have this first impression of somebody when even when you just met them. For example, when we first meet our new teachers, we know right away that their main goal for us is to do well in their class. We know that they will understand and believe in us to put effort in their class in order for us to do well. I don't know but I think Gatsby will later on in the book will be someone who will actually understand and believe in Nick in the good and bad things he does.

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Andrew Ledezma

11/11/2013 01:34:24 pm

“It faced, or seemed to face, the whole external world for an instant and then concentrated on you with an irresistible prejudice in your favor. It understood you just as far as you wanted to be understood, believed in you as you would like to believe in yourself.”

This is one of my favorite quotes and displays Fitzgerald’s writing extremely accurately. Fitzgerald uses Nick Carraway as the poetic voice of the story and this passage reflects that. I think that this post is essential to the set up of Gatsby as a charachter. He doesn’t just have a nice smile, but a smile that is “irresistibly prejudiced in your favor”. Gatsby is set up as a charming fellow who throws grand parties, and is Nick’s next door neighbor. He is also very mysterious, and has many rumors surrounding him that may or may not be true. This passage also outlines the sincerety in Gatsby’s voice as opposed to the people at his party. This might be why Nick says that Gatsby was immune to the rich, careless life in New York.

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Lisa Valtierra

11/11/2013 01:46:14 pm

"He smiled understandingly - much more than understandingly. It was one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it"

This quote is one of my favorites that I've read in the book so far. It just makes me feel so much better. Since we see so much of Nick's world and all that he has to go through, like seeing Tom cheat on his cousin and not really being treated as an equal because he recently came to money. I honestly love this quote because it shows who Gatsby is as a person and we are only seeing the beginning of him, so it's exciting. I feel like in this part of the book, Nick really starts to trust Gatsby, even though he doesn't really know him. Nick sees how kind, real, and innocent the smile that Gatsby has on his face and I think that's where the real friendship starts with Gatsby and Nick. Just having a short conversation with him and that real smile that Gatsby gave.

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Julz Valencia

11/11/2013 10:21:35 pm

This is a great analysis of the quote, but does it make you think or feel? Its a little confusing because you seem to use both.

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Trevin Kraus

11/11/2013 01:54:43 pm

Quote:"I thought you inherited your money."

"I did, old sport," he said automatically, "but I lost most of it in the big panic – the panic of the war."

I think he hardly knew what he was saying, for when I asked him what business he was in he answered, "That's my affair," before he realized that it wasn't the appropriate reply.

"Oh, I've been in several things," he corrected himself. "I was in the drug business and then I was in the oil business. But I'm not in either one now."

Think: I THINK that this quote does a great job defining who Jay Gatsby is. We're already half way through the book and it is still unclear what Gatsby does as an occupation. He is a very mysterious person and makes up many lies regarding who he is and how how he made his fortune. I think that Gatsby made up several rumors and had them spread around in order to create this fake identity. Now his past is catching up with him and he has to remember the many lies he told in order to keep up with his image.

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Jake Little

11/11/2013 02:29:58 pm

I can agree with what you think. The author has a very unique way of describing people and things within the story. This is just one of many quotes that display his way of writing people's personalities, and i'm sure there will be many more in the rest of the story. Very good thoughts.

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Ryan Novak

11/11/2013 02:13:07 pm

"All right…I‘m glad it‘s a girl. And I hope she‘ll be a fool, that‘s the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little
fool" (Page 17)

This quote and really the book as a whole so far has made me feel a litle disgusted with the way society had evolved in the Roaring 20's. It was a time of absolute and complete materialism, where the rich flaunted what the had and the poor tried their best to cover up their lacking. This quote was said by Daisy within minutes of birthing her child. The twenties had bred this feeling of utter despair and cynicism in her that caused her to say things such as this. I think the way that the narrator went about describing himself was meant to cause a sort of contrast to the rest of the Jazz Age/ Roaring 20's. It really just made me feel disgusted at the absolute materialism and how empty of a life many of the people were living. The relationship between Daisy and Tom seemed more of a buisness relationship, and was lacking any real affection as evidenced by Tom's mistress Myrtle, who also has a husband. This lack of love really encapsulated the way the roaring twenties were described by Fitzgerald as a time of materialism, not so much one of actual value.

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Jake Little

11/11/2013 02:23:11 pm

"The instant her voice broke off, ceasing to compel my attention, my belief, I felt the basic insincerity of what she had said. It made me uneasy, as though the whole evening had been a trick of some sort to exact a contributory emotion from me. I waited, and sure enough, in a moment she looked at me with an absolute smirk on her lovely face, as if she had asserted her membership in a rather distinguished secret society to which she and Tom belonged."

I think this quote shows many things about this book. The main thing that it shows is the way the author writes and describes people and things. His descriptive ways show that he notices and assumes many things by just one encounter of another person. I now speculate that his ways of seeing the world will display in many other parts of the story and will take an important role in this book.

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Julz Valencia

11/11/2013 10:18:26 pm

“Let’s get out,” whispered Jordan, after a somehow wasteful and inappropriate half-hour. “This is much too polite for me.” Chapter 3

Wonder: This quote makes me wonder what sort of lifestyle Jordan is used to. To me it always seemed as if jordan was a very prim and proper person and was brought up in the sort of lifestyle where always you have a salad fork and then a dinner fork. Or when you eat spaghetti you use a spoon and a fork to twirl your pasta, and you don't use paper napkins at dinner but rather cloth napkins. However Jordan is saying this situation is much too polite for her, so I am curious how she would normally eat dinner and what is not too polite. Or perhaps it is just in this very situation the the eating arrangement are too polite, and that maybe in another situation this may be perfectly acceptable.

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Chris dang

11/11/2013 11:48:01 pm

"Every one suspects himself of at least one of the cardinal virtues, and this is mine: I am one of the few honest people that I have ever known." - Very end of chap 3

When I read this quote, I wondered what other people thought of themselves. Nick thinks that he is generally honest. I'll give him benefit of the doubt and say that he rarely lies. But then I thought of the other characters. What would be their virtues? But this book was a satire about the upper classes so maybe they don't have any. Jordan Baker, the girl he was with near the end of chapter 3 was "Incurably dishonest" so I know that Honesty isn't her virtue, But what could be her virtue? I'll think about virtues again at the end of the book and see how this all plays out.

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Alexus Seymour

11/12/2013 04:16:50 am

"I have been drunk just twice in my life, and the second time was that afternoon; so everything that happened has a dim, hazy cast over it, although until after eight o' clock the apartment was full of cheerful sun"

This quote makes me think that, that night he kinda felt pressured to get drunk because in this part of the book he has just met mrs. wilson the lady that Tom is cheating on with daisy and is in a room with Mrs. Wilson's sister and friends who are drinking and having fun. It makes me feel kinda bad for Nick because he doesn't really know what he's getting himself into and he doesn't really know anyone because he has just moved in. I wonder if he had not gone to see Toms lady, Mrs. Wilson, then would he be in the mess that his in know.

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Quentin Jackson

11/12/2013 10:10:35 am

"Mrs. Wilson had changed her costume some time before... with the influence of the dress her personality had undergone a change"

This shows clear perspective change, as mrs. wilson, or myrtle, shows herself in a completely different light with different clothes on. in her normal clothes, she is shown as a simple woman, with, as the author puts it, "perceptible vitality," and as a rather shy lady. However, when she gets to the party and puts on her dress, she shows herself in a different light, showing "impressive hauteur," and lying about daisy and toms relationship. this shows how the people within the story are not living as who they are, and how just superficial looks can change a someones personality.

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Alura Polese

11/14/2013 04:03:25 am

"Sometimes they came and went without having met Gatsby at all, came for the party with a simplicity of heart that was its own ticket of admission."

This quote really makes me think every time I hear it,Gatsby is the curious man with lots of "friends" but these "friends" do not even know who he is or what he looks like. It makes me think, that this can relate to a lot of things today because people can make right or wrong judgments of people because they do not truly know who that person is. It makes me think about who is Gatsby and why does he throw these extravagant parties every two weeks. I wanna know who Gatsby is!!!!

Chpt.3
"Dressed up in white flannels I went over to his lawn a little after seven, and wandered around rather ill at ease among swirls and eddies of people I didn't know.."

Feel: Nick feels out of place by not knowing anyone at Gatsby party. I've have had a few moment where I felt out of place. One memory that I have is when I went to a football game and I didn't know anyone besides for the people I was with. I felt like everyone knew I didn't go to their school. I just felt uncomfortable. I'm sure everyone has been through this, where they felt unwelcomed.

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